She King
by money127
Summary: Mikan, a daughter of a concubine, has always dreamed of becoming a king even though she was a girl. Now, given a chance to compete for the throne against her half-brothers, as a man, nothing will stop her, not even her beloved half-brother, Natsume.
1. Chapter 1

She King

By: money127

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><p><strong>So here is my new fanfiction! This fanfiction has been on my mind for a long time already and I was reserving it for after I finish Unfortunate Engagement but since I was missing the reviews and all that stuff, I decided to post it up a little earlier.<strong>

**I hope you guys like it. It's completely unrelated to my other works: Fake Romance and Unfortunate Engagement. Unlike those two, this one is a historical romance and I know that not everyone likes history but please, give it a try!**

**Also, many of you will be wondering how come Natsume is Mikan's half-brother and they'll still end up with each other. Well, let's just say this is not an incest story. **

**Also, if, no matter what, history completely doesn't suit you, please try to read Fake Romance (complete) and Unfortunate Engagement (sequel and incomplete). Thank you!**

**Enjoy chapter 1 of She King!**

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><p>Moving through the coridors in a fast pace, her auburn hair flying in the air gracefully, princess Mikan Sakura of Alice was more than just angry. She was enraged, mad and furious. If she wasn't, she probably wouldn't have barged into the King's room with such a loud bang and in a manner which her father called "her late teenage tantrum".<p>

"Is it true?" She asked her father, the King of Alice, as she started walking towards his big wooden table.

"Good morning, my dear." He answered, still not reacting to her anger.

"Is it true that I'm going to marry the prince of Zero?" Mikan asked. When she woke up this morning, her maids were giving her pitiful looks as they talked about how the only princess of Alice was going to marry the only prince of the enemy's country, Zero.

"Do you have any objections to it?" Her father asked her, his eyes still on the pile of paper in front of him. The old man was always working, when did he even find time to entertain himself with his Queen and his concubines, one of which being Mikan's mother?

"Am I going to marry him or not?" Not getting the answer she was waiting for, Mikan asked again.

"Do you have any other suggestions on how you can serve this country other than marry into the enemy's family and unite two countries?" Her father asked in a casual voice, as if marrying at the age of 17 was something that Mikan was destined to do.

"I WON'T MARRY THE INTO THE COUNTRY THAT TOOK AWAY MY MOTHER!" Mikan yelled. When Mikan was still a kid, spies from Zero abducted the Queen and all the concubines, demanding the King to give up his throne. The King refused and all his wives were killed brutally, remains of their bodies were sent in a box, piece by piece, it was impossible to identify whose body parts they were. Mikan never blamed her father for his decision; the King's duty to his people was always above his duties to his family.

Mikan breathed heavily, trying to calm herself down. As her breathing started to go back to normal, Mikan decided to continue her argument with her father.

"You said I had a chance to the throne." Mikan answered. When she was a child, Mikan has nagged her father for the one thing that she thought would make her and her mother happy, the crown and the position of ultimate power in Alice.

"You refused to try to take out all of your brothers." Her father reminded her. When she turned 10, her father finally gave in to her nagging and agreed to let her become the heir to the throne but, of course, on one condition, eliminate all the competition, which meant her dear brothers, without being discovered. Mikan could never do that. Not when that meant that she had to kill Natsume, her beloved half-brother.

"You wanted me to kill your children." Mikan answered, trying to put some reason into her cruel father's head.

"I only need the best of my children. If you could've killed them without getting discovered, you could've proven to me that you were the toughest, the smartest and the slyest of them all." Her father tried to put some of his reason into her head.

"They have body guards." She gave a half-hearted excuse.

"Nothing you can't get through if you put some effort. You trained alongside your brothers in combat training, you studied above and beyond what you all were taught together and you have a talent in poison studies, am I correct?" Her father asked and Mikan answered with silence, "Princes are trained to be tougher than their body guards. You, training just like them, should be able to take down any body guard on your own." When Mikan didn't answer him, he continued, "Besides, Natsume is the Crown Prince, he is the heir to my throne."

"You said that all your children will have an equal chance to get the throne." Mikan reminded him what he told her when she was growing up.

"I said all my sons will have an equal chance to get the throne." The Kind corrected her, emphasizing the word "son", "A month from now, all your brothers will come to the Central City and they will all be given a chance to prove to me that they are worthy of the throne."

"Can't I take part in this? You know that I am worthy of this position, father." Mikan pleaded. The throne has been her only goal since her mother passed away. The throne held the key to her peace, her inner peace.

"You're a girl, my dear. You're born to be a princess, to attend balls, to wear pretty clothes and look after your long hair." Her father looked at her in a loving way which Mikan knew by now was his look of pity. Mikan hated pity…

Without a second thought, Mikan lunged at her father, stealing his sword and raising it above her head.

With one swift movement, her auburn hair was cut from her head. Mikan stood there, in front of her father, long strands of hair in her fist.

"I DON'T NEED THIS!" Mikan yelled and threw her hair into the blazing fire which was warming the room, "I DON'T NEED DRESSES. I DON'T NEED TO BE A PRINCESS. I JUST WANT THE THRONE!"

Heavy breathing was all that was heard a few minutes following her tantrum. Mikan, now with her hair cut short in an ugly hair style, was trying to control herself. She was trying to act mature and deserving of the throne yet all she was doing was acting like a teenage girl. Perhaps it was true that she had anger issues.

"2 days from now a letter will arrive to Zero that you have ran away." Her father started when Mikan seemed to be completely calmed down, "Your twin brother, Kan will be invited back from the military to participate in the competition for the throne. Make sure that he arrives here on time." Mikan looked puzzled at first, because she never had a twin, but then, finally realizing her father's plan, she smiled.

"Most certainly, father." She said and bowed as she started walking to the door, taking a hat to cover her now short hair, "I'll tell him to come." As she was halfway out of the room she peeked in again, "And I'll personally make sure that Kan Sakura will be victorious."

And with that, the competition for the throne began...

_How far will your greed take you, Mika__n?_


	2. Chapter 2

She King

By: money127

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><p><strong>Hello<strong>** everybody!****I****'****m**** back.**** I ****know**** that**** I****'****m ****so ****slow ****in ****updating ****this ****story ****but ****I ****was ****very ****busy. ****Autumn**** break ****is ****here, ****which ****means ****a ****lot ****of ****writing. ****Stay**** tuned ****for ****the ****updates ****of ****this ****fanfic ****along ****with ****Unfortunate ****Engagement. ****Also, ****if ****you ****read ****, ****don****'****t ****forget ****to ****check ****my**** works ****under**** the ****same**** penname.**

**Please enjoy chapter 2!**

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><p><strong>Previous:<strong>

Without a second thought, Mikan lunged at her father, stealing his sword and raising it above her head.

With one swift movement, her auburn hair was cut from her head. Mikan stood there, in front of her father, long strands of hair in her fist.

"I DON'T NEED THIS!" Mikan yelled and threw her hair into the blazing fire which was warming the room, "I DON'T NEED DRESSES. I DON'T NEED TO BE A PRINCESS. I JUST WANT THE THRONE!"

Heavy breathing was all that was heard a few minutes following her tantrum. Mikan, now with her hair cut short in an ugly hair style, was trying to control herself. She was trying to act mature and deserving of the throne yet all she was doing was acting like a teenage girl. Perhaps it was true that she had anger issues.

"2 days from now a letter will arrive to Zero that you have ran away." Her father started when Mikan seemed to be completely calmed down, "Your twin brother, Kan will be invited back from the military to participate in the competition for the throne. Make sure that he arrives here on time." Mikan looked puzzled at first, because she never had a twin, but then, finally realizing her father's plan, she smiled.

"Most certainly, father." She said and bowed as she started walking to the door, taking a hat to cover her now short hair, "I'll tell him to come." As she was halfway out of the room she peeked in again, "And I'll personally make sure that Kan Sakura will be victorious."

And with that, the competition for the throne began...

_How __far __will __your __greed __take __you, __Mika__n?_

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><p>"Imperial Prince Kan Sakura." The valet called as she stepped into a grand ball room. All of her brothers were already present and they looked at her with confused eyes. Mikan wasn't surprised. It wasn't like you get to meet a brother that you never met or heard of in your entire life.<p>

"Father." She bowed, "Brothers." She bowed again and walked towards a group of handsome princes, "Let me introduce myself, I'm Kan Sakura, Mikan's twin brother." She extended her arm to all of her brothers. They shook it but the confused look on their faces told her that she wasn't welcome.

"How come I never met you before." One of her half-brothers, Ruka Nogi asked her. Just like "Kan Sakura", Ruka Nogi was an Imperial Prince, a son of a concubine.

"My mother sent me to the military since the moment I was born." Mikan said in a deep voice. She was practicing how to act like a man for many days straight just to pull off the deep voice and the manly posture, "I never got to meet my mother and only met Mikan a few times. I wasn't even allowed to go to the cemetery on that day." Mikan didn't need to explain what day she was talking about. When Mikan was only a child, she, along with her brothers, lost her mom. She could still remember the silence in the cemetery. None of the children cried, they weren't allowed to, but instead, they stood there, holding each other's hand tightly as the stared into the new homes of their mothers.

"I hope you enjoyed your time in the military, Kan." The king said and Mikan turned around to face him, "I'm sorry I never visited you but we needed to keep your identity a secret from the troops, didn't we?"

"It's alright, father. The army is like my home. The soldiers are like my brothers and their lives are like my life." Mikan said and smiled warmly, she practiced these lines so many times.

"I hope you find your room here better than the barracks." Tsubasa Undo, another Imperial Prince joked. The group laughed heartily, except for one bitter prince.

"What is so laughable? Please don't forget that our own sister is missing." Natsume Hyuga, the Crown Prince spoke gravely, "I hope you haven't forgotten our only sister that is nowhere to be found, especially you, Kan Sakura. I thought you would've been more considerate, being her twin and looked for her instead of dragging yourself here." Natsume said in a cold voice. That voice, Mikan knew, was the sign of his worry.

"I summoned him here, Natsume. Don't be disrespectful of your brother. Don't forget that from now on, you're no better than any of the princes gathered in this room." The King spoke and everyone turned around in surprise, Mikan just turned for the act, "From now on, all of you gathered here are going to be considered Imperial Princes, that includes you, Natsume. I know that all of my sons have immense potential in ruling this country and I'm ready to let anyone of you rule it if you can prove to me that you're the best." The King explained to his children, "That is the reason why I summoned all of you here. No matter if you were born into the Crown family or the Imperial, you will now have a chance in becoming my successor and bearing the name of the Hyugas."

No one but the children of the queen were given the King's last name. Those children, along with the queen and the king, made up the Crown family. The concubines and their children were a part of the Imperial family. These children were given a last name according to the concubine's choice. The other people that were slightly related to the king were a part of the Royal family. They had their own family names.

"So from now on, Natsume Hyuga, you're not to be considered a part of the Crown family. Starting tomorrow, I expect you to start on your campaigns, I want to see you working with the officials, I want to see you visiting the army, I want to see you working on battle strategies, and I want you to act like a king would if he had 4 clones. You're all dismissed." With those words, all of the princes exited the ball room.

"What was that about?" Kokoro and Kitsuneme Yome exclaimed at the same time, "He lets us play in the Eastern capital all our lives and then drops the throne baggage on us." They complained. They were supposed to become rulers of the Eastern part of the country once they were of age.

"While you two were playing around, I was training myself on the West. But I never paid attention to politics before. Why didn't he tell us sooner?" Tsubasa complained. He was the prince of the Western Capital.

"I never went into battle." The Southern Prince and the gentlest of all of them, Ruka Nogi confessed.

"Mikan was supposed to rule the North." Natsume mentioned, "How come you weren't brought in to rule in for her?" He stared into Mikan's eyes.

"There's no time for that." Mikan dragged him off to a secluded place.

"What do you want?" Natsume asked in suspicion.

"I know where Mikan is." Mikan said. That wasn't really a lie.

"Where is she?" Natsume asked impatiently.

"She's being kept hostage by father." Mikan explained. That wasn't really true.

"What? Why?" Natsume asked.

"I didn't want to participate in this. But father was insisting on Mikan marrying the prince of Zero. She refused so he locked her up somewhere." Natsume was obviously not pleased with the news, "He told me that if I become the next king of Alice, he'll free Mikan, she'll never be forced into anything again." Mikan said smoothly. The practice paid off.

"You mean Mikan didn't just run away?" Natsume asked.

"She wanted to but she never got the chance to act on her thoughts." Mikan continued, "Listen. I need to win this. You love her, don't you? She's your sister as much as she is mine. So please, do not participate in this, get an army and start searching for her." Mikan told him as she held onto his shoulder, "In case I don't win, I want to know where she is."

"I'll talk to father." Natsume started walking back to the ball room.

"Natsume, wait!" Mikan tried to stop him but he didn't listen.

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><p>"How did it go?" Mikan asked when Natsume came out of the ball room a few minutes later. There was no point in trying to interrupt the meeting between the King and Natsume since it would only make Mikan more suspicious.<p>

"I've reached a settlement with him." Natsume stated, "If I do not become the king, I'll have to marry Luna, the princess of Souls." Mikan's face cringed. The Souls used to be a part of Alice ruled by the Koizumi family. But then, they decided to split from the country and become independent. Luna Koizumi was the next in line for the throne. By marrying Natsume to Luna, the Souls will be reunified with Alice. That old King really knew how to get down to business.

"But if I become the King, I'll be given Mikan's location." Natsume told Mikan. So that's how the King wanted this. If Mikan were to lose this, she would be exposed to the whole Imperial and Crown family. She'll never be forgiven. She'll be sent to a secluded land and will be luxuriously imprisoned there, "And the best part of it is, I'll get to marry her!" Mikan's mouth dropped to the floor, "Father said that if I become the king, he'll give his blessing to let me marry Mikan even though we are siblings!" Natsume was smiling in joy, "Can you believe it? OK, here's the plan, you should leave this competition. Look for Mikan with your friend soldiers. I'll win this thing and…" Natsume was stopped by Mikan's hand.

"I'm not going to help you." Mikan told him.

"What! Why? I thought you were also worried about her." Natsume said in surprise and Mikan decided to tell the one thing that she was sure was a lie.

"Because she doesn't love you."

_Where__ does__ the __truth __end __and __the __lies __begin, __Mikan?_


	3. Chapter 3

She King

By: money127

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><p><strong>Hello! I'm back. Sorta… I'm so so so sorry for being MIA (Missing In Action or something) for so long but I've been so so busy with all the homework, the manga and the dramas (like K-dramas and stuff) that I just couldn't force myself to start writing (even though most of the time, writing is fun but to start writing is a lot of hard work and strong will). So I'd like to apologize to everyone who has been waiting to read this (so arrogant of me to think that someone is though) because, believe me, I know how it feels like to wait forever for a chapter of your favorite story.<strong>

**Happy New Year everybody and enjoy chapter 3!**

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><p>Imperial Prince Kan Sakura (Imperial Princess Mikan Sakura) was walking towards her study in a hurry. The conversation with Former Crown Prince Natsume Hyuga took too much of her time. She had a campaign to plan and she couldn't afford any waste of time. As she passed by the Grand Hall, she came across the portraits of the former rulers as well as the current one along with their queens and concubines. In the latest portrait, the king sat at his throne with the queen standing right behind him and his concubines (one of which was her mother) at the sides of the throne. Someday, she would be the King of Alice, she thought as she bowed down in honor of her father and mother.<p>

"How respectful of you, Prince Kan." Mikan heard a voice behind her and turned around to face one of the King's advisers, Official Persona.

"Persona." Mikan said and bowed slightly, mostly out of habit rather than out of respect for the shady young man who curiously managed to get his way into the king's council.

"I would like to help you become the king." Persona voiced as she was about to walk away. Mikan stopped and Persona slowly crept up behind her, "It's not every day I see a beautiful princess running for a position as the king." He whispered in her ear. Mikan didn't turn around but continued walking.

"Follow me." She said and Persona.

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><p>Once Mikan and Persona were in the privacy of her study, she turned around.<p>

"What do you have to offer?" Mikan asked, cutting down all the small talk.

"Very important information and much needed support." Persona stated shortly.

"Start talking." Mikan ordered. Persona raised his right eyebrow.

"Weren't you supposed to ask what I wanted in return?" Persona asked.

"I want to get as many things as I can before you start bargaining. This is a common mistake people make because they don't give an effort to milk out anything for free." Mikan answered, her voice impatient.

"Your father wants an interesting development." Persona said.

"If that's all you have to say then I'd rather not waste my time." Mikan turned towards her desk.

"There's a point system." That got Mikan's attention, "It is a well known fact that your mother was the king's favorite concubine. Not to mention that the king is very fond of Prince Natsume. The officials didn't want him to be biased so they created a point system in which they would have a way to influence the competition. Of course on their side, it's just a way to gain power but for you, this will be a chance." Persona was one of the officials so he would know very well what he was talking about.

"Keep talking." Mikan ordered.

"The King's vote is 10 points. An official's vote is 2 points and an opponent's vote is 5 points, of course the princes can't vote for themselves. The person with the most points wins. In about a day, this information will be spread to the rest of the princes. Well a part of it at least." Persona finished explaining.

"You have proved yourself to be very useful." Mikan applauded, "What do you want in return?" Mikan offered.

"I…" Persona walked towards Mikan and whispered in her ear, "I don't want anything. I have more money than I can spend and a position in the government that keeps me busy and satisfied. I don't want anything from you but a great show. I want to see you claw your way up to the sun and then crash and burn depending on what decisions you'll make." Persona lifted Mikan face up to his, "You're such a beautiful princess, so greedy, so shameless and so desperate. Such dark eyes…" Persona said and inched closer to Mikan, "Good luck, little princess." Persona whispered against her lips.

And then he was gone, leaving Mikan confused and determined at the same time.

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><p>The next day, the point system was announced to the princes in the running. Everyone was informed on how much they were worth (point wise) in this competition. All but the princes themselves. They had no idea that they themselves could vote for someone. Mikan had a piece of information that no one else knew of and she was going to take advantage of that in every way possible. It was soon understood that instead of running the best campaign, the king cared more about who could please him and the officials more. "Corrupted" didn't even start to describe the old bored man. And another silent rule was established, all fair in throne and war; they were going to play dirty if necessary.<p>

Mikan contemplated her plan in her study. There were 5 officials and 5 opponent princes. In total, she could get 45 points. Excluding the king, who would do anything to make her grovel for his 10 points and the other 4 officials (aside from Persona) who would be more inclined to vote for the easily manipulated Ruka than the other strong and knowledgeable princes, Mikan could only gain 27 points at best and then there was Natsume who would definitely not vote for Kan, that left her with the maximum of 22 points. Natsume was the biggest opponent. He could also get 20 points from his brothers and he would probably get the king's 10 points. If he was smart enough, he would be able to even gain the officials' votes. The only way to make him fail was to turn all the princes against him and that was what Mikan decided to do, no matter what. The end justifies the means after all.

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><p>Mean while, the former Crown Prince Natsume Hyuga was walking through the same hall Mikan was walking on just a day ago. Stopping at his parents' portrait, Natsume looked at the sad eyes of his mother. The king never loved her. Up until the very last day of her life, all he cared about was how to save his beloved concubine Yuka, Mikan's mom. She was a beautiful lady though very cold and always unhappy. She was forced to marry the king and was always bitter about it. Mikan looked so much like her. He missed MIkan and Kan's face did nothing but remind him of his beloved. Sure they were half-siblings but he heard that aristocrats did that nowadays. They married cousins and siblings just to keep the inheritance in the family.<p>

"How do I get the most points…" Natsume thought to himself. No official would vote for him, since he had too much influence and knowledge to be manipulated by them. His father was half-crazy about Lady Yuka and would definitely on Kan's side in this. Kan Sakura… That guy just appeared out of thin air. In his whole life, Natsume never heard of him and now he appears and starts playing the Prince… And yet… he feels so familiar that Natsume can't help but feel protective…

"That guy…" Natsume said to himself, "Why did he have to look so much like Mikan…"

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><p>The next day, the Princes were invited to go hunting with the King. Everyone was still dressing up. All but one… Mikan walked towards the stables to meet with a very "loyal" servant.<p>

"Goshima." Mikan called out and a good looking servant in neat clothes came out.

"Your HIghness." Goshima bowed.

"I want you to check up on the horses before we take off." Mikan said in a quiet voice and handed him a small bag of silver coins.

"Of course." Goshima inched closer to the prince.

"I want you to…" Mikan whispered in his ear.


	4. Chapter 4

She King

By: money127

-/-

**Please don't shoot me! I didn't disappear on purpose. All the homework and the extracurricular activities kept me busy for all this time. However, thanks to that, my idea of this chapter developed well. I hope there are still people who read this. **

**Enjoy chapter 4!**

-/-

**Previous:**

The next day, the Princes were invited to go hunting with the King. Everyone was still dressing up. All but one… Mikan walked towards the stables to meet with a very "loyal" servant.

"Goshima." Mikan called out and a good looking servant in neat clothes came out.

"Your Majesty." Goshima bowed.

"I want you to check up on the horses before we take off." Mikan said in a quiet voice and handed him a small bag of silver coins.

"Of course." Goshima inched closer to the prince.

"I want you to…" Mikan whispered in his ear.

-/-

It was quiet in the forest that day. Everyone knew how serious the royal family got over hunting and didn't dare to disrupt the perfect atmosphere for an animal to carelessly catch the eye of one of the princes or the king. Mikan's hand held a bow with the arrow already in place as she skillfully rode her black horse along with her brothers. Looking at her now, it was impossible to mistake her for a woman for her posture and aura were all equal to her brothers. Her hands itched to raise her bow and shoot, to end the silence with a sacrifice of an animal life but she knew that one wrong move and she would leave without a catch and that didn't just apply to the hunting. She needed to be as fast as a panther, as silent as a snake and as lethal as a lion.

A deer came in sight and Mikan raised her bow.

-/-

Natsume heard the cheering and hoped that at least someone got a prey. The sound probably scared off some animals and if even that prey escaped then that was a waste of effort and time. A white rabbit caught Natsume's sight and he got off his horse to follow it on foot. He could hear two other people following him; he guessed those were the twins and didn't look back to confirm. He needed to get this rabbit; he needed to get the throne.

-/-

Tsubasa rode along with Kan on a desolate trail on which Kan said he saw a fox.

"Are you sure this is where you saw it?" Tsubasa asked and looked around, there was no sign of anything being alive here.

"We know our way back, Tsubasa, there's no need to be a chicken." Kan said a little humorously.

"I'm not chicken, just not sure if we are getting anywhere with this." Tsubasa explained, "Maybe we should focus on a prey we can see."

"If you can find me a better prey than a fox, I will abandon this but I know for a fact that a fox is rare and not many things can compare to it."

"How about a wolf?" Tsubasa suggested.

-/-

Mikan turned to where Tsubasa was pointing, a wolf indeed. Mikan took off on her horse and on her way past her brother, she kicked his horse lightly on a pressure point.

-/-

In a matter of seconds, Tsubasa's horse was racing like the mad horse it was. Tsubasa was trying to get control of the horse but it wasn't easy and it didn't get any better when his saddle got ripped on one side. Immediately, Tsubasa lost balance. He was hanging on to the left side of the horse when he heard his brother run towards him on his horse.

"Here!" Kan yelled, "Take my hand!" Tsubasa extended one of his hands, risking his own safety and putting his trust on a half-brother he barely even knew. Just as the feeling of the last saddle strap ripping on the other side hit Tsubasa, he finally took a hold of Kan's hand and was pulled up on the black horse.

"Let's go get your horse back." Kan said and started riding towards the still running brown horse, now without the saddle. Kan had Tsubasa hold his horse as he jumped towards the mad one and soothed it while the horse continued to run mad. After a few minutes, the horse slowed down and came to a halt in the middle of nowhere.

"Now how do we get back?"

-/-

Mikan was satisfied with the progression of things. Get Tsubasa in a near death situation and save him: Check. Get his horse back: Check. Get stuck in the middle of nowhere to have time to convince him to get on your side: Check.

"I guess we will have to stay here until morning." Tsubasa said as he came back with some wood, "Thanks for helping me out back then. I could've died."

"We are brothers, Tsubasa. I would save you any day." Mikan smirked and Tsubasa sat down to set up a fire, "But can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, anything." Tsubasa said. The fire lit up and he sat down next to Mikan.

"We can't talk about this much in the castle because the walls there have ears." Mikan started and Tsubasa nodded in agreement, "I made a bet with father." Tsubasa nodded.

"What about?"

"The throne. If I become the king, Mikan will be set free." Mikan explained, waiting for Tsubasa's reaction.

"Mikan? Free? Where is she?" Tsubasa was already hooked.

"She didn't want to marry the Prince of Zero so father locked her up somewhere. If I win, she's free to go wherever she wants. If I lose, I can't be sure she'll be safe." Mikan looked gravely down, making sure that Tsubasa caught every fake feeling displayed on her face. Sadness, despair, guilt, helplessness…

"Then you have to win." Tsubasa said, "We need to get her out of there, wherever that is."

"Thank you for your consideration but aren't you also trying to get the throne?" Mikan asked, already knowing the answer.

"If it's for a sister, I'm ready to give up on thousands of thrones. Besides, I'd rather govern an area than a country, gives me more freedom." Tsubasa said and leaned back, "Don't worry, I've got your back."

"Thank you but that's not all." Mikan continued, "Natsume also made a bet with father." Tsubasa furrowed his eyebrows, confused.

"Why would he do that?"

"If he becomes the king, he will get father's approval to marry Mikan." Tsubasa's eyes widened, "And if he loses, he will marry Princess Luna of Souls."

"Well, it's pretty obvious that Natsume's in love with your sister but we always thought that that would always be an impossible thing, you know, with them being half siblings. But with father's approval… Maybe you should let Natsume win. He will finally be with the one he loves. If you lose, there are no consequences. But if he loses, he will have to be married to someone else."

"Mikan doesn't love Natsume." Mikan interrupted, "I don't want her to become some pawn in father's game and then get married to a man she doesn't love." That was actually true, "I don't want Natsume to marry some woman he doesn't care about but I don't want Mikan married to a man she doesn't love either." Tsubasa seemed wavered. Mikan came closer to Tsubasa and looked into his eyes, "Mikan is my only sister, my only twin. I don't have another like her. Neither do you. Please, for the sake of the only sister we have, support me." Mikan's eyes were pleading but she already knew that Tsubasa would do anything as long as he believes it to be the right thing to do.

"Alright, I'll help." Tsubasa surrendered.

"Thank you but it's not going to be easy. Natsume plays dirty, you know?" Mikan said and pointed at his horse.

"You mean…"

"I'm not sure but I'm pretty suspicious." Mikan said and smiled in triumph inside as she finally got what she set out to get this morning.

The next morning, the other princes found Mikan and Tsubasa but none of them knew what really happened the night before.

_As fast as a panther, as silent as a snake and as lethal as a lion but will that be enough?_


	5. Chapter 5

She King

By: money127

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><p><strong>Please don't kill me. I can explain. I had a lot at hand and right after the school year, I was taken away on a family vacation. I'm so so sorry if I left anyone hanging. Believe me, I didn't mean to. Anyways, I realized that the throne fight thing was too much of a bother to most people so I decided to get it over fast and get to the romantic and maybe not so romantic stuff faster. This chapter is a filler to get the political part over with. I will try to write the next chapter soon. <strong>

**Thank you for sticking to this. Enjoy chapter 5**

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><p><strong>Previous:<strong>

"Alright, I'll help." Tsubasa surrendered.

"Thank you but it's not going to be easy. Natsume plays dirty, you know?" Mikan said and pointed at his horse.

"You mean…"

"I'm not sure but I'm pretty suspicious." Mikan said and smiled in triumph inside as she finally got what she set out to get this morning.

The next morning, the other princes found Mikan and Tsubasa but none of them knew what really happened the night before.

_As fast as a panther, as silent as a snake and as lethal as a lion but will that be enough?_

* * *

><p>"<em>One prince down, four princes to go."<em> Mikan thought in her bed after being brought back to the palace. Her plan would only work if all four princes voted for her to be the next king. Kokoro and Kitsuneme Yome were next on the list. Now how does she convince the idiots to do what she wants…

* * *

><p>"Brothers!" Kan yelled out and walked towards Kokoro and Kitsuneme Yome. They were currently having a fun duel in the sun and Kan decided that this was the best opportunity to get closer to them, "May I join?" Kan walked towards his brothers as they stopped their duel and looked at him.<p>

"Sure thing, but aren't you too busy fighting for that stupid throne of yours?" Kokoro said with a smile. It was obvious that they were not interested in the throne and were just enjoying their time with the family. Kitsuneme offered to duel with Kan with a hand gesture and the two started to sword duel.

"I'd love to be as carefree as you guys. In fact, the throne means nothing to me, but the safety of my sister." Kan said as he made an attack and Kitsuneme blocked it.

"What do you mean?" Kokoro asked as he stopped the duel.

"Father has imprisoned Mikan somewhere and once I win the throne, he'll set her free. I have to win this thing." Kan lowered his sword and faced the brothers, "It would be great if I had some help, maybe from two very brave brothers who have extraordinary strength of intelligence." Most of that was a lie bt at least that got them interested.

"Rescuing the princess? Of course we can help!" Kitsuneme and Kokoro shouted at the same time.

"Great!" Kan smiled and gave the two brothers a manly hug, "I really appreciate it. Mikan would appreciate it too, I know."

Making a simple approach: Check. Doing the cool guy in trouble act: Check. Making idiots feel like heroes: Check. Next up: Ruka Nogi

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><p>By the time the decision day came, Kan already knew who was on his side. Tsubasa was full on team Kan. The Yome brothers really don't care who they help, but the fact that Mikan is at stake gets them on team Kan half way.<p>

Ruka Nogi was the easiest to convince. Tsubasa already convinced the guy by the time Kan talked to him. Now, in total, she could get 22 points out of 45. That would definitely get her to the top. Mikan, or Kan actually, has won and…

"Kan!" Natsume called, "I know that you don't approve of me marrying Mikan… But I just want to tell you that I will win anyways and I will marry Mikan, so what's the loss in supporting something that can't be avoided?" Natsume Hyuga was definitely still as arrogant as Mikan remembered him to be.

"What do you mean?" Kan faked disbelief. Of course he knew what Natsume was up to, Persona updated Kan on Natsume's activities constantly.

"Well, all the advisors have agreed to support me and father has said that I have proven myself worthy of your sister and of the country. That gives me 20 points. While you were too busy bonding with my brothers to bother with anyone who did matter in this competition, I have already gained all the possible supporters." Kan totally forgot that Natsume was the only prince who didn't know that his brothers were worth something too, but just the right time, the king has ordered voting in 1 minute and has reminded the point worth, finally revealing to Natsume that his brothers were worth more than he thought.

"So you see, your 4 brothers are worth 5 point each and that means 20 points for me and 20 for you." Of course Kan didn't mention Persona's support for him, "So what difference would it make if we vote for each other, we obviously can't vote for ourselves." Kan extended a hand to Natsume, he stared at it for a little while and then shook it.

"In honor of your sister, a tie wouldn't be that bad anyways." Natsume said and walked towards the voting room.

* * *

><p>It was obvious who won that day by the expression of people's faces: Natsume's face of anger when he realized that he lost Kan by 4 points; Kan's face of triumph when he was announced the next king; the happy faces of the princes when they thought that their little sister was coming back to them and the king's poker face when he understood that he underestimated his only daughter. All was clear, Kan Sakura has won.<p>

* * *

><p>"Congratulations, son." The king said in his private study as he talked to his successor, "You have proven to me that you can very well be better than all of your brothers. In lying, that is."<p>

"Thank you, father." Kan said and bowed down.

"However, I still can't let you become the king." The King said with a very slight smirk on his face which weirdly reminded Mikan of Natsume.

Kan's eyes opened in panic. "What do you mean? I won the competition! I deserve the throne! You can't just take your words back! Kan Sakura has won." Kan tried his best to keep his tone as civilized and calm as possible but it was difficult with the anger brewing inside him.

"Unfortunately, a king must be able to marry a woman and have off springs and I'm afraid that as a female, you just can't do that." The king said. He knew this all along. He knew that even if Kan won, the throne would always go to the one person who he wanted to win... But Kan wasn't going to back down.

"All you need is an off spring and a wife, am I correct?"

"Not just a wife, but a Queen. Do you really think you can marry a noble woman? With you being a woman yourself, do you think any noble woman would marry you?" The king's eyes reflected his disbelief.

Kan walked towards the king and leaned on the desk. "You just wait and see." He said and then walked away.

It was time to write to an old friend…

_Who else do you want to get involved, Mikan?_


	6. Chapter 6

She King

By: money127

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><p><strong>Please don't kill me. I can explain. I have extracurricular that keep me very busy. And I'm doing my Personal Project. And I have grades to keep up. I'm very sorry. Here, you can punch me anywhere but the face. I know that most of you probably lost interest in this and I can't blame you. I have no excuse for not being able to write for so long. But for those who are ready to forgive me and continue reading, please don't give up on me yet.<strong>

**Thank you for sticking to this through my absence. Enjoy chapter 6**

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><p><strong>Previous:<strong>

"All you need is an off spring and a wife, am I correct?"

"Not just a wife, but a Queen. Do you really think you can marry a noble woman? With you being a woman yourself, do you think any noble woman would marry you?" The king's eyes reflected his disbelief.

Kan walked towards the king and leaned on the desk. "You just wait and see." He said and then walked away.

It was time to write to an old friend…

_Who else do you want to get involved, Mikan?_

* * *

><p>Three nights after the coronation of King Kan, the princes of Alice walked into the dining room and met a visitor. Her back was straight and her raven hair barely reached her shoulders. In the morning light, her eyes were dark and mysterious. At that very moment with her hands holding a tea cup, nothing could be more elegant than the woman seating right next to the new King.<p>

"Brothers, you are awake." King Kan exclaimed, "Allow me to introduce to you Lady Hotaru Imai."

The beautiful lady stood up gracefully and bowed. The Imai family was a noble family which was distantly related to the Queen's. Hotary Imai, in particular, was a great friend of Princess Mikan.

"I did not hear you arrive." Prince Tsubasa asked as Prince Ruka just stood and stared.

"I arrived late last night." Lady Hotaru explained as she sat back down, "I came here to say good bye to Mikan as she was leaving today. Kan-sama has been kind enough to let me stay for a few days in the palace as both he and I will miss her greatly and will do well to be each other's company."

"What do you mean she was leaving today?" Prince Natsume asked, his voice booming as he walked in, a little later than his brothers.

"Exactly what I said. Mikan has left early in the morning."

"To where? Why were we not informed?" Prince Natsume was furious. When he heard of Kan becoming the king, his only comfort was the thought of finally meeting Mikan again.

"Mikan wanted to leave as soon as possible and she couldn't bear to say goodbye to any of you. As her brother, I agreed with her on leaving as we wouldn't know when father would change his mind about her marriage. I simply did as she wished and sent for Imai-san."

The Princes had nothing to say but felt bad for not being able to see their sister off.

"Let's all sit down for breakfast now, shall we?" King Kan offered and his brother walked towards the table.

Prince Natsume stormed out, leaving everyone silently awkward.

* * *

><p>Just as expected, the visiting Hotaru Imai stayed at the palace for not just a few days. Her presence was always accompanied with the King's and they looked more than two people connected through friendship. A month after the supposed disappearance of Princess Mikan Sakura, a ball was held to celebrate the King's engagement to the future Queen Hotaru Imai.<p>

King Kan, dressed in his best danced with his beautiful new wife as some watched them in awe at the beauty of both and how lovely of a picture they created together. Kokoro and Kitsuneme joked around with women as Tsubasa talked politics with nobles.

However, one prince in particular, made an effort not to stare too much at the most talked about couple of the night. His eyes averted, he dared not look at the bride, afraid of the feelings that might show.

"Prince Ruka." The voice of his secretly beloved Queen Hotaru called out to him, Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Hotaru-sama."

"Please, just call me Hotaru-san. Though in rank I am higher, we are soon to be family." Her polite smile melted Prince Ruka's heart and he found the courage to do something that he would never dare if not for the glass of cognac he drank before coming.

"Would you like to dance, Hotaru-san?" He extended his hand and she took it. Feeling suddenly bold and eager, Prince Ruka almost pulled her towards the middle of the room and the two danced.

"Where is your husband?" Prince Ruka asked, "Surely, he wouldn't leave his wife at a ball where everyone knows her yet she knows almost no one."

"Kan-sama has been summoned by the Former King. The two are conversing in his study as we speak."

The two didn't talk anymore from there. They danced, and danced, and danced the night away. Both felt a certain peace in each other's presence yet both knew that they could not relax around each other.

Queen Hotaru didn't notice how they ended up sitting together at a table, drinking punch silently yet peacefully.

Queen Hotaru didn't notice how they slipped out of the ballroom and didn't have enough mind to care of how they went unnoticed.

Everything felt like a dream. The happiness, the nervousness, the touch, the kiss and then another kiss.

Just like any other dream, however, this dream ended.

Queen Hotaru awoke in a chamber unfamiliar to her with a man a little too familiar.

Slipping into a robe, Queen Hotaru quickly grabbed her dress and ran back to her own chamber, thankfully, unnoticed.

* * *

><p>At the altar, their joined hands and smiling faces made King Kan and Queen Hotaru the seemingly happiest couple alive. Standing as one of the groom's man, Prince Ruka stared grimly at the woman he loved and couldn't have as the priest pronounced the loving couple husband and wife.<p>

* * *

><p>"Mikan?" Hotaru called out for her husband as they rested in their chamber, I think… I think I'm pregnant."<p>

"What are you talking about?" Mikan asked, standing up from the bed, "It can't be me…" After a long thinking pause, Mikan spoke again, "Who was it?"

"It was just a moment of weakness… I…" Hotaru lost her cool for the first time.

"When I asked you to be my wife, I thought you knew what that would mean. It meant that you were to be married to me and me alone. Do you know how long I have wanted this? What I have now is all I've ever wanted and you promised me that you will help me keep what I want in my hands. Remember? You agreed to support me through this."

"And I did. I married you. I agreed to be married to a woman! I agreed to sacrifice my life for you. Do you know that I will have to be married to you for the rest of my life? Do you know that if I divorce you, no one will marry me because no one wants to marry a divorced woman? I have given you the rest of my life."

"Then tell me who it is." Mikan demanded. Taking a deep breath, Hotaru looked away.

"Ruka, Ruka Nogi, your brother." Hotaru answered, shame in her voice was obvious.

"That's good. He is a too nice to tell anyone." Mikan paced around the room.

"I don't want to lose this baby, Mikan. I know that you are my best friend and now my husband. But this is my child. Please…"

"It's alright." Mikan raised her hand to stop her wife in midsentence, "Keep the baby. This might come of use actually."

And with that, King Kan walked away with the news of an upcoming heir to the throne.

_When will this life of deceit end, Mikan?_


	7. Chapter 7

She King

By: money127

**Yes, I'm not dead, not yet at least. My life has been hectic to say the least but I am surviving. So, as a way to prove that I do have a life outside of school, I decided to continue writing this thing. I would like to apologize to whoever waited, I know there aren't many of you but I'm sorry none the less. **

**Thank you for sticking to this. Enjoy chapter 7**

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><p><strong>Previous:<strong>

"Mikan?" Hotaru called out for her husband as they rested in their chamber, I think… I think I'm pregnant."

"What are you talking about?" Mikan asked, standing up from the bed, "It can't be me…" After a long thinking pause, Mikan spoke again, "Who was it?"

"It was just a moment of weakness… I…" Hotaru lost her cool for the first time.

"When I asked you to be my wife, I thought you knew what that would mean. It meant that you were to be married to me and me alone. Do you know how long I have wanted this? What I have now is all I've ever wanted and you promised me that you will help me keep what I want in my hands. Remember? You agreed to support me through this."

"And I did. I married you. I agreed to be married to a woman! I agreed to sacrifice my life for you."

"Then tell me who it is." Mikan demanded.

"Ruka, Ruka Nogi, your brother." Hotaru answered, shame in her voice as obvious as day.

"That's good. He is a too nice to tell anyone." Mikan paced around her room.

"I don't want to lose this baby, Mikan. I know that you are my best friend and now my husband. But this is my child. Please…"

"It's alright." Mikan raised her hand to stop her wife in midsentence, "Keep the baby. This might come of use actually."

And with that, King Kan walked away with the news of an upcoming heir to the throne.

_When will this life of deceit end, Mikan?_

* * *

><p>Not long after the wedding of Kan and Hotaru, the Princes returned to their assigned lands. Prince Tsubasa rode back to the West, happy that his half-sister has escaped the clutches of his father and very pleased that the responsibility of a country, though not unwelcome, was not on his shoulders. Kokoro and Kitsuneme were split up due to the missing Princess. Kokoro was sent to the North while Kitsuneme stayed in the East. That distressed the two but not for long as they continuously came to visit each other for very long periods of time. Prince Ruka was last to leave the Capital as he could not bear to part with his beloved Queen Hotaru. Eventually, even he left. Prince Natsume was to stay in the Capital to aid the new King. And so was the arrangement for the first few months.<p>

The disappearance of Princess Mikan Sakura went unnoticed by many. The whirlwind of events from the crowning of the new king and the announcement of his queen expecting a child brought so much joy to the kingdom that a mere Princess was easily forgotten, even by Kan himself. So much of his life has become of King Kan that Princess Mikan no longer had an hour of her body to herself anymore. Of course, that did not last long. The one thing that never changed was the fact that everything would change eventually.

Queen Hotaru was halfway through her pregnancy when the Princes were again summoned to the Capital for an extended meeting that was to be as long as the whole summer.

On a very nice morning, in the presence of all Princes and the new King, the former King made an announcement.

"I am very happy to announce that we will soon have two additions to our family. First, of course is my grandson, or daughter, that we all can't wait to be born." At this, the whole family smiled, even the very sorrowful Prince Natsume, "Another addition to our family is coming from the land of Souls just South East of our lands. As you would all know, Souls separated from Alice just a century ago. Now, Alice and Souls will try to find a way to create a stronger alliance and maybe eventually merge. Thus we are going to merge the two royal families through the marriage of our own Prince Natsume Hyuga and the Souls's Crown Princess Luna Koizumi."

No one could hide the shock of this revelation. Of course, Kan knew the consequences of the bet between Natsume and his father but he did not believe that his father would actually follow through with this arrangement. After being quiet for some time, Prince Natsume's fists came in a loud contact with the table and he promptly walked out. The family was quiet as Princess Mikan Sakura shook slightly with an emotion she was yet to acknowledge.

* * *

><p>Crown Princess Koizumi Luna eventually arrived at the Capital and was warmly welcomed by the family though the warmth was only smiles deep. Prince Natsume never spoke to her, if at all, and spent a lot more time in his study than he ever did before. The other Princes tried to warm up to the obviously fake Princess but to no avail. Her smiles were as true as the ones they directed at her. King Kan didn't even look the Crown Princess in the eye. Some people believed that this was due to his obvious hatred of her fakeness but Queen Hotaru knew what it was really about.<p>

CRASH!

Another vase broken in King Kan's chamber.

"Kan-sama, please stop this." Queen Hotaru's voice was calm, a stern whisper becoming of her position, "I can't keep pretending that I'm a klutz and that I am responsible for all the beautiful vases that have been broken in the past month. If you don't stop this, I will have to remove everything breakable from this room."

"Do whatever you want, Hotaru." Mikan sulked, lying down on the bed, she covered herself with the covers from head to toe.

"If I could do whatever I wanted, I wouldn't be here and I wouldn't be married to a woman. I would be married to Prince Ruka. But no, I did what you wanted, I became the Queen, I'm carrying a child that is not yours but pretend to do so just for you. I sacrificed everything for you. Now make a decision, Mikan. You can stop being Kan and just come clean about everything, ask Natsume to not marry Luna and then face the consequences that you deserve. Or you can stay as Kan, stop this childish behavior and act like a damn King for God's sake! You have made a choice, a choice to let go of your female life for the one thing that you have ever wanted. Now stick to your choice or I swear I will come clean for you!" Finishing her speech, Hotaru walked out.

* * *

><p>That month, the ever so grim Prince Natsume married the ever smiling Crown Princess Luna. King Kan and Queen Hotaru were in charge of the procedures. Both were smiling brightly, wishing only the best for the Prince even if the best was to come with the awful Princess Luna. Thanks to the marriage, the alliance between Alice and Souls was created and the recent tension between the two countries disappeared with the wedding vows. And though King Kan was happy for his half-brother, Mikan's jealousy never wavered and soon, something had to be done.<p>

The next month, as the first rays of sunlight graced the Capital, a large carriage stopped at the palace gates, inside was the one thing that Queen Hotaru could think of to comfort her best friend.

_What are you making them do for you, Mikan?_


	8. Chapter 8

She King

By: money127

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><p><strong>So I have realized that my life is too monotonous. Thus I'm back to writing to relief the daily stress of life (and being an over-achieving student). I hope this works.<strong>

**I shall not beg for forgiveness. I understand my fault and shall apologize through this chapter. If you find it insufficient, don't hesitate to leave a comment. I'm a sucker for those.**

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><p><strong>Previous:<strong>

That month, Prince Natsume married Crown Princess Luna. King Kan and Queen Hotaru were in charge of the procedures. Both were smiling brightly, wishing only the best for the Prince even if the best was to come with the awful Princess Luna. Thanks to the marriage, the alliance between Alice and Souls was created and the recent tension between the two countries disappeared with the wedding vows. And though King Kan was happy for his half-brother, Mikan's jealousy never wavered and soon, something had to be done.

The next month, as the first rays of sunlight graced the Capital, a large carriage stopped at the palace gates, inside was the one thing that Queen Hotaru could think of to comfort her best friend.

_What are you making them do for you, Mikan?_

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><p>At the breakfast table that morning sat three fresh Northern faces, excited and scared at the same time.<p>

Anna, Misaki and Nonoko were Princess Mikan's ladies in waiting. With the sudden summon to the palace, all the ladies were informed of was that King Kan was in fact Princess Mikan's brother and that, unfortunately, they will not be meeting their beloved royal friend. Instead, they were welcomed by the Queen herself at the gates and led to the breakfast room to wait for everyone else to arrive. The Former King came in first and was civil to the ladies, quite fascinated with why they were here. Prince Natsume and his new wife arrived second. Seeing Mikan's friends, Prince Natsume had the urge to ask about her but he refrained, knowing it was neither time nor place to do so. Next waltzed in Prince Tsubasa whose eyes landed on Lady Misaki the moment he came in and didn't see anything or anyone else since. He greeted all the ladies but even the disinterested Princess Luna could sense Prince Tsubasa's instant attraction to the Lady with short pink hair. The two twin princes were similarly interested in Lady Anna and Nonoko. They smiled coyly at the playful looking men, smitten with attention.

The King arrived last, not having slept well the night before. Seeing the newly arrived ladies, his eyes lit up and Mikan's beautiful smile engulfed his face. Remembering his gentleman status, he walked slowly but surely towards the table and offered each woman a kiss on the hand.

"My sister's beautiful ladies in waiting!" He exclaimed merrily, "What a surprise."

The three ladies were petrified to have met a man that looked so much like their friend and yet to handsome. The Queen was definitely a very lucky woman.

"We apologize for the intrusion, your Majesty." The most calm of the ladies, Nonoko, bowed, "We were invited to visit Princess Sakura's brother by her Majesty the Queen."

"I see." King Kan responded with a smile while confusion roamed his mind.

Sitting down next to his wife, King Kan raised his cup, "Well then, let us celebrate the arrival of my sister's dear friends, Lady Anna, Lady Misaki and Lady Nonoko."

Cups clanged in a merry tune as everybody relaxed just for a little while.

* * *

><p>King Kan, not minding his wife's intentions in inviting Mikan's friends to the Capitol, decided to spend as much time as he could with them. Their pure hearts, smiling faces and non-political activities gave him great joy and distraction from the ugliness of what was now his life. Mikan's sentiments mixed with Kan's appreciation towards them created a kind of love that refused to let go.<p>

"We are quite uncertain of what you are proposing to us, your Majesty…" Lady Anna asked one bright morning as King Kan visited the ladies in the garden.

"I would like for you three beautiful ladies to become my concubines."

"We would like to think about this offer for a night, your Majesty." Lady Nonoko responded before Lady Misaki had a chance to make a hasty decision.

"Take your time." King Kan was not imposing anything on them, "I need to go back to my duties." And with that he left.

* * *

><p>"What are you thinking?" Lady Nonoko asked Lady Misaki.<p>

"I'm thinking of refusing." She answered confidently.

"Don't be so hasty." Lady Anna reprimanded, "Why should we refuse?"

"I don't know about you, but I am interested in someone else at the moment." Lady Misaki informed.

"Aren't you also interested in a person, Anna?" Lady Nonoko teased, "Prince Kokoro seems like a fine man."

"But he has not shown any interest in me since our first meeting." Lady Anna argued, "Think about it, have any of them talked to us in the past few days?"

* * *

><p>"Regarding the merging of Alice and Soul, I think that the hostility has been reduced significantly after the wedding and that we should offer the merge." Prince Ruka suggested.<p>

The other four princes yawned in response. They were currently at a meeting that included all of the princes and Queen Hotaru who was overseeing the meeting for her husband, he could not make it.

Ever since the arrival of the ladies, none of the princes had a spare hour of the day. The Queen demanded long meetings about the merge of Alice and Soul while the King was nowhere to be found. Even the dinner time was separated between the princes and the King. The Queen seemed to do just about everything to give the King more time with the ladies while keeping the princes away.

"Hey" Prince Tsubasa whispered to Prince Kokoro, "What do you think about visiting the ladies after this evening while the Queen makes her daily checks of the grounds."

"Sounds good to me." Prince Kokoro answered and relayed the news to his twin.

And so they stayed happy for the rest of the meeting.

* * *

><p>"You must understand that this kind of proposal doesn't come every life time!" Lady Anna argued, they were again at the topic of marriage, "Remember that since Mikan isn't coming back to the Northern capitol, we are no longer needed, that's why they sent us back to our families. Now that we are of no use, it is time to think of matrimony."<p>

"Yes, but once you marry, there is no going back." Lady Misaki pointed out.

"I don't know why you are fighting about this. It's not like we all have to marry the King. If you want to refuse, Misaki, then refuse." Lady Nonoko intervened.

"And what will you do?" Lady Misaki asked Lady Nonoko.

"I don't know yet. Anna has a point, it is marrying the King of Alice. Our children can someday take over this powerful country. His Majesty favors us and we will never have to think about hunger or the cold. We will be concubines! We will have no political obligations and still live very luxuriously and with each other."

"That is if I agree." Lady Misaki was stubborn.

"Please agree." Lady Hotaru came into the room.

"Your Majesty." The three ladies bowed down, "We thought you were doing your checks around the castle."

"Yes, I was." The Queen answered, "But then I heard you discussing His Majesty's proposal and I couldn't help but step in."

The three ladies made way for the Queen as she approached a seat. They all sat down.

"His Majesty has never been happier. I believe that I have made the right decision in bringing you here." The Queen explained, "And for that reason, I want you three to stay and agree to his offer."

The three ladies were silent for a long time.

"By staying at his side, you are serving the country, just like I am. You must understand that your companionship means a lot to his Majesty."

Looking straight at the ladies, the Queen continued, "Become concubines of Alice and serve your country."

Looking back and forth between each other, the ladies nodded.

"Yes, your Majesty. We shall marry the King." The three responded, feeling dutiful to their King and their friend who is somewhere out there.

Little did they know that the princes were right outside and have heard the ladies' response. They retreated into the shadows, defeated.

_How much can your kingdom of darkness conquer, Mikan?_


	9. Chapter 9

She King

By: money127

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><p><strong>Didn't I tell you that I will be updating? <strong>

**Enjoy chapter 9!**

* * *

><p><strong>Previous:<strong>

"Yes, your Majesty. We shall marry the King." The three responded, feeling dutiful to their King and their friend who is somewhere out there. Little did they know that the princes were right outside and have heard the ladies' response. They retreated into the shadows, defeated.

_How much can your kingdom of darkness conquer, Mikan?_

* * *

><p>By the next month, the castle was full of buzz. With the addition of three young concubines and their maids as well as the prolonged stay of the five princes and Crown Princess Luna of Souls, the family table was filled. Although finally reunited with no conflicts to be solved, there was a lurking dark aura surrounding everyone.<p>

Prince Ruka, Prince Tsubasa, Prince Kokoro and Prince Kitsuneme were all upset due to a certain king marrying the love of the life. They tried to be happy for their brother but alas envy was not an easy emotion to get rid of.

The princes were not the only ones jealous. Princess Luna was well aware of the affection that her husband harbored for the lost Princess Mikan. Not only was she not loved by her husband but none of her in-laws were being friendly to her. She was lonely in a foreign country with no one to trust.

Of course, the King himself was quite tired. Everyday, Mikan had to witness her beloved Natsume with his foreign wife and she was as angry as they looked happy. On a whim,the King married his three best friends and though he did not regret the decision, they made him as happy as his wife did, it was obvious that they were very uneasy around his brothers.

They were not the only ones, Prince Natsume and her Majesty the Queen were oozing annoyance. Queen Hotaru was soon to deliver yet her she was still stressed about keeping everyone in control. She was, perhaps, the only sane person in the castle. Prince Natsume, on the other hand, had to deal with his new wife. Though she was beautiful and charming, her clingy nature was starting to get on his nerves. He could only imagine staying married to her for the rest of his life. With no comfort of his beloved Mikan, Prince Natsume saw no reason in living after all, he had no country or Mikan to take care of.

All trivial matters aside, however, the darkest was the former King. He, like any human being, was slowly becoming aware of his age. His time was not long…

* * *

><p>By the time the former King became bed ridden, the castle was as busy as a bee. The Queen delivered a baby boy, the Crown Prince of Alice. Coronations had to be splendid and almost half the castle staff was running around in preparation. The former King's health was declining and he needed to be taken care of day and night, the princes tried to stay with him as much as possible but with the reunification of Alice with Souls was taking up so much of their time and effort.<p>

But other problems were less obvious…

* * *

><p>The concubines were having a little trouble with the King.<p>

"Did he come to your chambers last night?" Lady Nonoko asked as they all walked down the halls. Their position as concubines has not sunk in yet and their naive eyes did not see the ears that the walls had.

"No, just like any other night." Lady Anna answered, "Did he come to any of you?"

Lady Nonoko and Lady Misaki both shook their heads.

This has been going on since their marriage to the King. Though King Kan was kind and showered them with presents, he never tried to touch them. And none of them have ever received him in their chambers.

"I dressed up so well yesterday."

"Do you think maybe, the king is…" Lady Misaki was interrupted by a sudden collision with Princess Luna. She fell onto the floor as Prince Natsume only watched.

"Where were you looking!?" Princess Luna exclaimed, "Don't you know who I am?" Both her jealousy and lonely all exploded as she took out her anger on the innocent women.

"I am very sorry" Lady Misaki said, "But did you not collide with me too?"

"Don't get so arrogant." Princess Luna countered, "Who do you think you are? Nothing but concubines, women of no rights, how dare you argue with me!"

"They are the King's wives." A calm voice answered from behind. Princess Luna turned to see Queen Hotaru, "And as the wives of the King they more than have a right to talk to you like they did." She turned towards Prince Natsume as she walked towards the ladies, "Keep you wife in check!"

And with that, Queen Hotaru exited with her friends.

Princess Luna looked at her husband as he said nothing. The loneliness and feeling of betrayal enveloped the poor woman as she ran away, loveless.

The Prince stood there, stunned. The words that he heard before the collision have hypnotized him.

"_Do you think maybe, the King is…" _Yes, maybe the King was a little suspicious. The way he looked uncomfortable at the family table and how he obviously didn't approach his concubines indicated a certain sense of worry. Perhaps something happened to Mikan…

* * *

><p>King Kan was having problems of his own. Staring at his happy new born child, fear prickled at his skin. This child, looked nothing like him. Thankfully, he had his mother's eye color, purple orbs of mystery yet looking at the child's head, he couldn't help but feel like this child might lead to his downfall, if not, the suspicion that he so feared.<p>

"I shall go for a walk." The Queen snapped the Kan out of his reverie and exited the room.

The King kept staring…

A ray of light hit the room from a window and a golden lock of hair shone from the infants head.

A sudden surge of adrenaline hit the King as he stormed out of the room and reappeared with what seemed to be dark paint.

And with slow step, the dark king approached the smiling child.

_You have went too far, Mikan... _


	10. Chapter 10

She King

By: money127

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><p><strong>Hello, anyone who still has the patience to wait for this update (or anyone who put this under "alert" and is now getting an email). To say that I have not been busy with being a junior would be a lie. To say that I could not write because I was busy would be an excuse. I think I have procrastinated too much for an apology to be enough. So here is a chapter. <strong>

**This is the last chapter of She King. I am not cutting it short because I am lazy, just in case you were wondering. This is exactly how I envisioned it ending. Also, there will be an epilogue (posted on the same day). I'll talk more about it when you get there. **

**So please enjoy the finale!**

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><p><strong>Previous:<strong>

A ray of light hit the room from a window and a golden lock of hair shone from the infants head.

A sudden surge of adrenaline hit the King as he stormed out of the room and reappeared with what seemed to be dark paint.

And with slow step, the dark King approached the smiling child.

_You have went too far, Mikan..._

* * *

><p>A bucket of black paint in his hand, King Kan crept closer to the smilling child. The young prince turned his eyes to see a demon looming above, dark with feelings that a newborn could not comprehend. And so he smiled; his golden locks like a halo. King Kan's eyes widened in realization. This child was not born to live in the cold walls of this castle under the scrutiny of the royal world. This was no prince. This was an angel. And with its purple eyes, golden hair and glowing smile, it warmed the heart of the demon above.<p>

Kan's broad shoulders slimmed. His deep voice became higher. And the tunic suddenly grew tight at the chest. Mikan's face became wet with tears before she could realize it and she broke next to the crib, sobbing.

* * *

><p>"His Majesty, King Kan of Alice!"<p>

Princess Mikan came to visit her father at his death bed.

One look at his daughter's eyes and the older man knew: something has changed.

"I have decided to abdicate." Mikan said as she sat down.

The two people stayed quiet for a very long time, only interrupted by the former ruler's coughing, no matter what power was bestowed to him by God, he was, in the end, a mortal.

"Your mother was a woman of no noble blood, a peasant girl I saw as I rode horse back into a village in the North." Her father ended the silence. Mikan looked at her father, ready to defend her mother but stopped when she saw the man's soft eyes, "Yuka hated this place, she wanted to roam free in the forest, by the lake. She wanted to be the peasant girl that she was. She wanted to fly like a bird and like a bird, I caged her here."

"My mother knew that you loved her, she always knew that you thought most fondly of her." Mikan reassured her father. Perhaps if he loved her mother any less, Mikan would not have dared to break all the conventions of society to pursue her ambitions the way she did.

"I gave her everything but what she truly wanted, I was ready to make her my Queen. I could worship her if she let me. After years of loving women, I finally loved one." At this, the man coughed again, "She tried to forgive me for marrying her, she tried to look at me and not hate what I did to her, but she couldn't. So when she became pregnant, I was rather surprised, since she never let me love her the way I wanted to." At this, Mikan's face regained its look of alarm, "Don't look so worried, you were not born of hatred, I must assure you. You were the product of love, though not mine. You see, a music teacher by the name of Izume Yukihira followed into court with your mother."

The old man extended a hand to Mikan's face, "Upon your mother's begging you were allowed to stay. Yet she never let me into her chamber, not even on the days when her position in court was wavering. So I wanted you to suffer, to want something yet never be able to have it, like I did with your mother, like you did with the throne, and with Natsume." Mikan, feeling exposed, flinched away from her father and stood up.

"I think we are done here, I will publish a decree tonight, revealing my identity. I will be taken into prison for accounts of treason against you and the royal family as well as sin of marriage to a woman" And with that, Mikan made her way to the door.

"Tomorrow, it will be announced that both King Kan and Princess Mikan were not of royal blood and such, Prince Natsume is to step in as King and the search for the lost princess will be stopped officially. King Kan will be sent to live under God's guidance in his mother's homeland." Mikan stopped at the door, not ready to open it just yet, "You should know that I could never hate you, not when you look so much like your mother. In my own way, I was just trying to love you." Mikan's lips raised slightly at the ends as she remembered that it was he who first suggested she impersonate Kan.

"You will always be my father." Mikan said, just loudly enough for the man to hear her.

That night, the soul of an old man escaped with every slow cough into the finally peaceful air.

* * *

><p>Early in the morning, all members of the royal family, were invited into the throne room. None knew the reason for the summon until a young woman with short brown hair stepped into the room.<p>

"Mikan!" Prince Natsume was first to shout out, ready to run to her but stopped by the pleading look on Princess Luna's face. Everyone else was too stunned to make a move.

"Good morning, family and friends." Mikan started, "Although, after what I am about to say, I am afraid I might never call you that again."

"Mikan, what are you…" Queen Hotaru started, with a child in hand, but was interrupted by Mikan's hand

"Please let me finish speaking, before any of you decide to leave this room in anger." Everyone stood in attention.

"My name is Mikan Yukihira, although all of you call me Mikan Sakura or… Kan Sakura." There were a few gasps heard but no one said a word, "For the last year, I have lied to all of you about being a man. I was so obsessed with becoming a king that I hurt my best friends," Mikan looked apologetically at Hotaru, Misaki, Anna and Nonoko, "my brothers" she looked at Ruka, Tsubasa, Kokoro and Kitsuneme "and the man I loved the most." She looked at Prince Natsume. The man stared back at her, still as in love as ever. "I am not male and, as I have found out yesterday, carry no royal blood. For this, I have abdicated."

"Queen Hotaru, King Kan has divorced you. I hope that Prince Ruka will be willing to take you as his wife and your child as his." Hotaru looked at Ruka and they smiled in understanding as their child laughed in its sleep.

"King Kan's concubines, your fate is as his Queen's. If any suitors are willing to step in and offer a hand in marriage, you are all free to do as you please."

"Prince Natsume, as the runner up in the competition for the throne, you will become King. With this, you have won the bet against Father and are no longer obligated to be married to Princess Luna. You are free to divorce her," Mikan glanced at the married couple, "only if you choose to do so."

"As a commoner, I will leave the castle today. I hope you can make suitable arrangements for Father's funeral without me. I will be praying for him." Mikan slowly walked towards the door.

Before leaving, she made a last glance at the family she was leaving, "I do not expect you to forgive me. I have done so much evil, created so much unhappiness in your lives that there is no salvation. I only hope you let me live in peace for the rest of my existence."

Finally, Mikan left.

And so did Kan.

And so did the darkness that loomed above the castle.

* * *

><p>A black skirt swept over the floor of the dark convent. Mikan kneeled down, a cross in her hand, eyes closed, her brown hair barely seen under a shoal. This was how she spent her days now, praying for forgiveness, for everyone's wellbeing and for her parents in heaven. For years, she has lived with no news of the outside, secluded in a Northern forest, under the guidance of the nuns. She has finally found peace.<p>

Far far away, she heard the sound of galloping horses and reveled at how much that sound still excited her.

There were moments when she missed all that she has left. She still yearned for the thrill of politics, the noise of the castle,… the love of a man.

She took some time to calm her beating heart and continued to pray. Yet the sound of the running horses did not relent. Mikan prayed harder, concentrated more but the horses kept running, louder and louder. Just as Mikan thought she was at her limit, the sounds disappeared. Through the primary relief, Mikan noticed that she was feeling regret that she didn't go outside to see the excitement.

But she did not have much time to ponder for the doors of the church burst open and light flooded the dark room. In came a man with dark hair and darker eyes, dressed nobly yet out of breath. King Natsume of Alice.

"Mikan…" He said as he walked towards the now standing woman.

"Natsume…" Mikan answered, flooded with every emotion in the spectrum yet unable to express any.

"I have found you." King Natsume was ready to embrace her but Mikan pushed away.

"I… It's been so long… Queen Luna…" Mikan was not able to form sentences anymore.

"I sent her back to Souls shortly after you left." Mikan gasped, to think that she was capable to ruining a marriage even when she was in the convent, "It took years for Alice to regain control of that area. We had to resolve to military action. I knew that you would not forgive me if I abandoned the country in search of you." King Natsume extended a hand towards Mikan's cheek and Mikan let him slowly stroke it, "No one knew where you went, Father was very good at concealing your tracks even in his death. But I am finally here."

Mikan shook her head repeatedly, "We… I… I am awful. I am dark and greedy and…" She just kept shaking her head.

"I think the only person who has yet to forgive you is yourself. As much bad as you did to me and the family, your political skills are superb and during your short reign, you did not fail the people of Alice." King Natsume answered, "But I cannot change your mind about yourself, not in a morning. So I have a proposition."

King Natsume kneeled down and took Mikan's hand in his, "Mikan Yukihira, I would like to take you back to the castle to serve the country for the rest of your life. Luna is still a Queen, that's a part of the final peace treaty. A concubine will not have any political power. I think you, of all people, knew that you could be more than just a King's wife. So will you be my wife and Alice's first She King."

Mikan, despite her inability to forgive herself, decided to agree and pursue salvation by serving the country to the best of her ability. With that she nodded quietly and kneeled in front of Natsume, raising his hand to her lips.

"Yes."

* * *

><p>The Capital was immersed in deep sleep as a shadow slowly lurked past the main hall, past the portraits hung in a neat line: King Kuonji, Queen Kaoru and four concubines; King Kan, Queen Hotaru and three concubines; King Natsume and Queen Luna and the latest addition to the collection:<p>

King Natsume and, next to him on a two-seat throne, She King Mikan.

The shadow stopped at this portrait and slowly faded away.

_You, unlike your father, have gained what you desired. But how long will you be able to keep it, my daughter… Mikan?_


	11. Epilogue

She King

By: money127

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><p><strong>This is a She King epilogue. If you clicked on the latest chapter of She King, chances are you landed here instead of the other update today, the last chapter of She King. If that is you, I would suggest going back and reading that chapter before you move on to this. <strong>

**The epilogue is what I would've wanted to happen in a She King sequel (I was going to called it She King 2: the Return of Queen Luna). But for many reasons, one of them being that I will be a senior next year, I don't think I will ever write it. But I needed to get it out of the system anyways so I wrote up what I thought would be the first chapter. I will discuss this epilogue and the story at the end of this post, if anybody is interested.**

**Please enjoy the epilogue! **

* * *

><p><strong>Previous:<strong>

The Capital was immersed in deep sleep as a shadow slowly lurked past the main hall, past the portraits hung in a neat line: King Kuonji, Queen Kaoru and four concubines; King Kan, Queen Hotaru and three concubines; King Natsume and Queen Luna and the latest addition to the collection:

King Natsume and, next to him on a two-seat throne, She King Mikan.

The shadow stopped at this portrait and slowly faded away.

_You, unlike your father, have gained what you desired. But how long will you be able to keep it, my daughter… Mikan?_

* * *

><p>The sky cried with the people as Alice mourned for the loss of their beloved King Natsume. Standing closest to the casket, She King Mikan put on an emotionless face behind her black veil as she held the seven-year-old Prince Yoichi close to her leg. Unlike his dignified mother, Prince Yoichi cried loudly like he did so many days before and after his father's death. By their side, the royal family stood in attention, all of King Natsume's brothers, their wives and their children. He was a loved man yet he had to be taken away by God, with no warning but a few days of high fever.<p>

She King Mikan did not dare utter a word, afraid that the moment she opened up, all her emotions would escape, like a reservoir of water behind a cracked dam.

So she stayed silent…

And hurt…

And empty…

As she said goodbye to the love of her life.

* * *

><p>The ceremony took forever but She King Mikan finally regained her solitude as she walked by the main hall that she has passed so many times before. So many memories flooded her mind as she looked at the portraits hung neatly on the wall.<p>

Her motherless childhood…

Her ambitious youth…

Her selfish reign…

Her blissful marriage…

King Natsume gave her the most wonderful decade of her life. By his side she developed as a human, a woman and a ruler. And three years after their wedding, Prince Yoichi joined the crown family, a successor to the throne. Now, She King Mikan sighed in regret, he will be the only successor, never to have a brother or a sister.

The First She King looked up at her late husband's painted eyes and was lost again, still in love as she was as a girl. Why did their time have to be so brief?

"Why?" escaped her lips first.

"Why did you leave me? I served this country by your side. This Mikan has dedicated her whole life to you and to Alice!" Tears were running down her cheeks like a waterfall.

"You! You dared to leave me! You dared to leave She King Mikan!" Finally, her legs gave way below her and She King Mikan fell to her knees.

"NATSUME!"

* * *

><p>She King Mikan was seating on her throne, still as widowed as she was twelve year before. Her son, already a young man, stood by her side as they received the royal family for an intimate dinner. Although there were still nights when sobs could be heard from the She King's chamber, today, the sole ruler of Alice looked welcoming. Today was a celebration of another prosperous year for Alice. If the late King Natsume was right about anything it was that She King Mikan was a capable ruler. Under such a solid rule, the advisers, though not as influential as they wanted to be, had no qualms in accepting a female sovereign.<p>

For just one night, She King Mikan did not want to dwell on her late husband. Just for today, she wanted to revel at how well she has been able to function, both as a mother and as a ruler, even when her heart has died along with that handsome man more than a decade ago.

"Welcome, family, to the castle, again. Now I know all the kids are eager to catch up so I will just announce that dinner will start at sunset. I would expect all of you to attend promptly." Yoichi smiled at his cousins in mischief. Mikan continued, "All adults will be welcome to tea at…" yet she could not finish as a frantic messenger ran in.

"Your Majesty, it is Queen Luna with an unknown lady. They are making their way here as I speak." Just as he finished, two women walked into the room, one was the regal and already past her prime Queen Luna and the other was a young lady with dark hair and even darker eyes.

"Your Majesty." Queen Luna curtsied mockingly.

"Queen Luna, what a surprise! I hope your trip from Souls has been pleasant. And who is this young lady."

"This" Queen Luna motioned beside her, "is my daughter, Crown Princess Aoi Hyuga. She is five and twenty and ready to take her rightful place as the successor of the throne of Alice."

There were gasps heard all around the room and Mikan could hardly hold back her own.

"This is madness, my son Yoichi, is the crown prince of Alice and has been such since his birth." Mikan replied, motioning to her son. Crown Prince Yoichi, however, was too enraptured by the beauty that was this unfamiliar young lady.

"As the daughter of Queen Luna of Alice and King Natsume of Alice and as the older of King Natsume's children, my Aoi is entitled to the throne."

"But she is a female!"

"So are you!" Queen Luna countered.

"What?" Queen Luna continued, "Did the cat get your tongue already, the First She King? Did you not think there would be a second?"

_Would you let history repeat itself, my dear Mikan?_

* * *

><p><strong>So this is going to be a ramble on the epilogue and this story. Reader patience is advised. <strong>

**So Queen Luna would be back in the sequel. As you probably already figured out, some of the barriers to the throne have been dealt with in the sequel. First of all, both competitors are legitimate children (as in children of a Queen and a King, in Yoichi's case that would be a She King and a King). Also, the gender barrier is no longer present due to a precedent She King. Although Yoichi has the advantage of a ruling mother, the advisers would be more ready to accept a weaker ruler that would be easier to manipulate, which Aoi would seem to be. So the chances would be 50/50. I am a cliche freak and as such, there would be Yoichi and Aoi romance. Unlike their parents though, they would be less preoccupied with the throne. It would be mostly Mikan vs Luna both politically and emotionally (they were married to the same guy, one of them loved and the other ignored, some drama has to happen). As in the first season, Aoi would be revealed as not Natsume's child but Persona's. That would be possible because in most colored Gakuen Alice works (btw, what an ending!), both of them have dark colored hair. Yoichi and Aoi would marry and have a happy ending (I hope). Mikan and Luna would come to peace and rule together (as She King and Queen) until Yoichi and Aoi can step in.**

**One of the reasons for posting this is because Mikan should not have an ending at the end of the last chapter. She feeds off of political stress and drama and she (arguably) ruined Luna's marriage. I could not let her have peace for too long. Natsume dying was just a way to propel the plot, also, a way to make Mikan suffer a little more. Luna was wronged quite a lot in She King so this is also me giving her an opportunity for revenge. **

**Now onto some regrets in the series. I definitely regret not being able to write more about the politics and such in parts like the competition and Mikan's reign. I was hoping to have different challenges for Mikan and Natsume during the competition for the throne: a battle scene, a charity function and some diplomatic affairs with the princes helping along the way. I had no idea how to write this correctly and well so I cut corners. This is one of the reasons why I decided not to write the sequel. It should be more politically heavy than I am capable of. The relationships in the story were also unsatisfactory to me. I was hoping for more Kan/Natsume moments (sort of Natsume loving Kan despite his gender to show that Natsume loved all of Mikan) as well as some concubines/princes scenes to develop their feelings beyond admiration. Luna and Natsume were supposed to have some connection as well as some Luna vs. Kan action. The only relationships I thought went OK were between Ruka and Hotaru as well as their child and Kan. In the end, I am a surface writer with more concepts than content so this was as good as it could get.**

**This got a lot longer than I wanted it to be (the ramble, not the story). I will not be writing again, not until the end of my senior year. So this is goodbye. **

**Thank you for everyone who read this. You have no idea how much happiness it brings me to have my work read by people I haven't even met. It means my words are bigger than just me. :) **

**Love you all,**

**money127**


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